The Heart of a Hero

The moment Yi Feng leaped into the molten lava,

a spectral figure materialized above the searing flow.

"How foolish the world is," the spirit murmured. "Such a simple trial, yet no one has ever claimed its inheritance."

"The Path of Courage—deceptively straightforward, yet truly arduous."

"This lad is the first in all these years to jump without hesitation."

"To embrace death for the chance of rebirth—that is the essence of courage."

"But this alone is not enough. Only if you conquer the final trials will you prove yourself a true warrior."

With those words, the apparition dissolved into the air.

Just as Yi Feng braced for transcendence, the world twisted violently around him.

In the next instant,

the scenery shifted entirely, transporting him to an unfamiliar realm.

He now stood in a resplendent golden hall.

"What the hell?"

"Where’s the part where I get burned by lava or devoured by monsters?"

Yi Feng’s face darkened as he cursed aloud.

Against all odds, he hadn’t died—instead, he’d been teleported elsewhere.

"Don’t tell me I accidentally stumbled into the next trial..."

Grumbling to himself, he glanced around.

Sure enough, a stone stele stood nearby, clearly informing him that he’d just cleared a stage.

The confirmation hit him like a hammer.

His own jinxed words had come true.

Who could’ve guessed the trial would be designed so unpredictably?

No wonder previous cultivators had failed. They'd likely wasted effort trying to break the Cycle Array on that narrow bridge, never considering the lava below.

Yi Feng sat in the hall for a long time, digesting this unwelcome outcome, before steeling himself to press onward.

Surveying the hall, he noticed four straight passages—each marked by an ancient stele—extending in the cardinal directions.

He approached them one by one.

The eastern passage promised "Wealth," its inscription boasting immeasurable riches at its end.

Yi Feng’s eyes nearly glowed with greed.

He could almost see the glittering immortal crystals beckoning.

"No. I have principles," he muttered, pinching his arm before moving south.

The southern path offered "Cultivation." According to the stele, a single pill awaited at its terminus—the Heaven-Treading Elixir, capable of elevating any cultivator by three major realms instantly.

Yi Feng didn’t even blink.

"Tch. I’m already chasing immortality. Why would I need three realms?"

Next came the western passage: "Lust."

Here lay the promise of the Heavenly Allure Physique—a charm so potent it would draw countless female cultivators to its bearer.

"Now this has merit," Yi Feng mused, rubbing his chin. "Even an immortal could use more charm."

"But let’s check the last door first."

The northern passage bore a single word: "Departure."

Its meaning was plain—leave now, taking nothing.

Armed with this knowledge, Yi Feng stood pondering.

Another critical juncture.

Choose right, and ascend.

Choose wrong? Well... good luck.

The four passages split into two categories.

Wealth, power, lust—three temptations of mortal desire.

The exit alone stood apart.

Yi Feng stroked his jaw, his inner detective awakening.

Any fool could see the first three paths reeked of danger. No sane person would charge in blindly.

Only by resisting temptation and choosing Departure would one seem worthy of progression.

Therefore, conventional wisdom dictated taking the exit.

But having survived the bridge trial, Yi Feng knew better. This designer loved mind games.

What appeared safe was deadly; what seemed reckless might be the true path.

Thus, choosing Departure would spell doom, while the temptations likely held the real prize.

And this suited Yi Feng perfectly.

His eyes gleamed as he stared at the exit.

This was his path to destruction—

and thereby, his road to immortality.

Without hesitation, he stepped through.

Eagerly anticipating death, he instead—

Passed.

A new environment surrounded him.

The nearby stele declared he’d conquered the Trial of Desire.

"GODDAMMIT!"

Yi Feng wanted to weep.

Unbelievable.

He’d thought the designer was playing second-level chess while he operated on the third.

Turns out, the bastard was on the fourth level all along, outmaneuvering him again.

He could almost hear the designer taunting: "Oh, the Desire Trial? Just say no and you’re through. Easy peasy. Just for funsies."

"Ugh. Outsmarted by my own cleverness," Yi Feng groaned, rubbing his temples.

What kind of cursed luck was this?

Four paths, yet only one was chosen by him—a mere twenty-five percent chance. Unbelievable.

"Yi Feng, oh Yi Feng, ever since you were a child, you were the successor of the Flower Planting Family, an outstanding Young Pioneer with a red scarf. 'Never abandon, never give up' has always been your motto. You can’t let a minor setback break your spirit now."

Yi Feng pumped himself up, took a deep breath, and suppressed his frustration as he carefully observed his surroundings once more.

He had arrived in a place shrouded in mist, where the swirling white fog gave it an ethereal, almost heavenly aura.

Ahead of him stretched a vast celestial river.

Though the river flowed smoothly, an undercurrent of danger seemed to lurk beneath its surface. Wrapped in the mist, it almost resembled a massive hot spring, emitting faint wisps of steam.

And before Yi Feng’s eyes—

Stood sixteen bridges.

Just like before, each bridge bore a stone tablet inscribed with details about the destination it led to.

Yi Feng stood at the bridgehead, his expression grim.

His demeanor was unusually solemn.

He had already cleared two trials.

If he made another mistake here, he would truly become the first inheritor in history to perish during the Death Inheritance.

As Yi Feng stood there, high above in the dome, the spectral figure that had appeared before materialized once more, gazing down at him with an air of superiority.

"A heart of a warrior, yet able to resist the temptations of wealth, beauty, and power to reach this point—what a remarkable talent."

"But this trial… won’t be as easy as the ones before."

He watched Yi Feng with keen interest.

For this trial—

He held little optimism for Yi Feng’s success.

Because the rules for passing this stage were incredibly, incredibly difficult.

In truth,

The Death Inheritance had been open for ages, drawing countless experts to undertake its trials—geniuses, prodigies, even titans of their era.

Given the sheer numbers, Yi Feng wasn’t the only one to have made it this far.

Yet every single one before him had fallen at this very hurdle.